For all those who mistakenly thought the Karan Johar-Salman Khan action thriller The Bull had been shelved after the actor announced a film with Sajid Nadiadwala last week, here is the real story. The Bull will now go on the floor around November-December and not right away, as anticipated, because the production needs more time for preparation. The film marks Salman's first full-length collaboration with Karan in 26 years, following his extended cameo appearance in the filmmaker’s directorial debut, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, in 1998. 

The Bull is Salman’s first project based on a true event, as it chronicles ‘Operation Cactus’, which the Indian government launched in the Maldives islands in 1988 to prevent a coup by a group of 200 Sri Lankan militants against then President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Salman is assigned to play the role of Brigadier Farukh Bulsara, who commanded paratroopers of an Indian Army parachute brigade and regiment in this thrilling military operation. Sixty days of intense training and body transformation had been planned for Salman to get into the skin of a paramilitary officer.

“The project is very much on, and will go on floors in the last quarter of this year, aiming for a late 2025 release,” said a source. It is also believed that the deteriorating India-Maldives relations are posing some political and controversial challenges for the project at this juncture and hence Salman and Karan have mutually decided to start it later this year,” the source said, clarifying that the film is only “postponed” and not “shelved”. 

In the interim, Salman has now allotted his dates to Sajid Nadiadwala's next film, to be directed by A.R. Murugadoss. He is set to commence shooting for this yet-untitled action entertainer in May with a one-week schedule in Mumbai, targeting an Eid 2025 release. “A.R. Murugadoss’s film is Salman's endeavor to deliver a blockbuster after Tiger 3’s underwhelming performance at the box office. Salman is giving this project high priority as he knows a Sajid Nadiadwala production is commercial and massy, giving him scope to rekindle his superstardom at the box office,” the source further said.